Coming Attractions: Painting, Antique Toys

There once was a possibility that Central Florida would have such attractions as Bible World and Hurricane World.

The attractions were never built, but there is a good chance that construction on two other unusual attractions will begin within three months.

The Religious Art Institute of America Inc., a for-profit organization based in Atlanta, will build two attractions on a 12-acre tract of land off Interstate 4 north of State Road 535, according to its president, John W. Chambers Sr.

The cost of the attractions was not disclosed.

The institute plans to build a 60,000-square-foot building that will contain a painting depicting 55 scenes that chronicle the life of Christ. The 11,000-square-foot exhibit is painted in oils on panels 11 feet high and 20 feet wide.

Chambers said the painting was completed about 12 years ago at a cost of $225,000. It recently was appraised at $1.5 million, he said.

In addition, the Religious Art Institute has leased a portion of the 12- acre tract to Antique Toy World Inc., which will build its own 30,000- square-foot structure to house an antique toy collection.

The collection will contain more than 100,000 items, including Victorian toys and doll houses. The collection, which

is under lease to Antique Toy World, is owned by Joseph P. Daole and Patricia Lee Powers of Atlanta, who say they have been collecting the items for more than 20 years. The owners say the collection is valued at more than $2 million.

The building housing the toy exhibit also will contain a 2,500-square- foot retail toy store.

The collection is now in Atlanta, where it is called the Toy Museum. Because their Atlanta lease is expiring, Daole and Powers decided to move the collection to Orlando.